


Closed Curtains - A HarleyWing Story

by Dccomicsquinn



Category: Batman (Comics), DCU (Comics), Harley Quinn (Comics), Nightwing (Comics)
Genre: Angst, Blüdhaven, Crimes & Criminals, F/M, Gotham City - Freeform, Romance, dccomics - Freeform, harleyWing - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-28
Updated: 2020-03-29
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:40:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23352604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dccomicsquinn/pseuds/Dccomicsquinn
Summary: Villian Arnold Etchison, aka Abattoir, is on the loose and its up to Officer Grayson to apprehend him. With the help of Dr Harleen Quinzel, love interest and Etchisons former doctor, can they work together to serve justice? All while, Harleen Quinzel is harboring her own villainous secrets. But how long can she keep them hidden from Dick behind closed curtains?
Relationships: Harleen Quinzel/Dick Grayson, harley quinn/nightwing
Comments: 1
Kudos: 8





	1. Chapter 1

It was another normal day at work for Harleen Quinzel at Gothams famous Arkham Asylum. The home to thousands of the criminally insane. Or temporary home anyways. Often the inmates would miraculously escape, sending the caped crusader, Batman, on another one of his searches through the gloomy city. Arkham Asylum was notorious for their failure to contain the inmates. Unfortunately, the technology inside was outdated. Doors required key cards, which were easily obtainable if you were to snatch one from a distracted nurse. And the files and reports were handwritten which caused errors in the system which often resulted in miscommunication. However, thats what you should expect when the Asylum is run by the literal definition of a fossil. The warden refused to progress into the new age of technology, deeming that technology shouldnt be trusted. In one way, the warden is right. Devices can easily be hacked and littered with viruses. But if you look at the pros, the Asylum could dispose of the key cards and bring in retinal scans. That way the asylum is already more secure, considering inmates dont scrounge out nurses eyeballs anyways.

Currently, Dr Harleen Quinzel was seated behind her mahogany wooden desk. The whole room seemed to have a Mediterranean feel to it. The furniture was all made from the same coloured mahogany timber that the desk was created from. There were grand bookcases around the walls of the office which seemed to have thousands of books filling the shelves. But judging by the dust, it seemed the books were only for decoration and no one seemed to use them. Decorating the room were also a bunch of different types of plants, though they were all fake as the asylum prohibited real ones. Thanks to Poison Ivy. But the mixture of the dark wood tones and the green gave the space an earthy feel. Which was extremely important for Harleen. She believed she could work more efficiently if her surroundings were pleasing.

Sat on the desk in front of her was a pale-yellow folder which held some information about one of the criminals that Harleen oversaw. She was an extremely hard worker and often spent her time reading over patients files to familiarise herself and try to understand them better. Her blue eyes moved from left to right as she read over the words in front of her, her pink lips moving silently. She moved her pointer finger to gently push her circular glasses further up her nose before then tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. It was coming to the end of the day so her hair that was originally styled in a tight bun on top of her head had become loose. Strands of her hair strayed from their hold and fell around her face. Her clothes also had begun to gain some wrinkles. The top button of her blue button up shirt had even come undone, showing off a small amount of her cleavage.

’Knock knock‘

Harleen looked up from the file and towards the closed door. She immediately did the button back up and closed the folder. It was confidential information that not just anyone could see. Come in she called. She leaned back in her chair, supressing the urge to yawn as a silver haired nurse walked inside. She had to be in her mid 70s.

"Dr Quinzel, there is a police officer in the waiting room who has requested to see you" she informed the blonde, a sense of jealously laced in her words. Harleen just assumed it was because she was young and beautiful. And ultimately still more successful than the nurse ever was.

"Please send them in" the doctor sighed, moving in her chair as she pulled at her black pencil skirt, adjusting the height as it had begun to ride up.

Meanwhile, a police officer wearing a navy-blue uniform parked his motorcycle in the carpark in the front of the gothic building. He climbed off his bike and pulled off his helmet, hanging it off one of the handlebars. He wasnt planning on being here for long, so he wasnt worried about the helmet being stolen. The police officer wasnt a part of the Gotham City Police Department but instead a part of the Bludhaven Police Department. Bludhaven was a neighbouring city to Gotham. While it was only a twenty-minute drive away, somehow the weather always seemed ten times worse in Gotham. It was always raining and the smog in the air almost made it impossible to see the stars at night or even the white clouds during the day. Rubbish covered every street and it was almost certain you would find a decomposing body in any alleyway. It really was a disgusting place to live. No one in their right mind would visit Gotham on a holiday. There were no tourist attractions. Unless you counted the bat symbol permanently glued in the sky as an attraction. 

The police officer actually used to live in Gotham a while ago. He went by the name Richard Grayson, but he was commonly known as Dick. Or, Bruce Waynes first ward. But he got away from the playboy lifestyle and instead made a home for himself in Blud, well thats what the press stated in their articles anyways.

The crunching of rocks beneath his feet could be heard as he approached the two large doors, carrying a black leather briefcase to his side. He flashed his badge to the two security men guarding the door before they allowed him inside. Once the doors opened, Dick was hit with a foul rotten scent. It was almost enough to make his eyes water. He wasnt sure how anyone survived in this place. It almost made him feel bad for the patients here.

"Hello!" Dick said cheerfully, approaching the front desk. An old lady with silver hair was seated there, doing a sudoku from a clipping of a magazine. It appeared she was too engrossed in her puzzle that she didnt seen to knowledge the males existence. "Umm I would like to see Dr Quinzel. She has some files I need to grab off her to take back to Bludhaven PD" he spoke again, presenting his signature handsome smile. The lady looked up at him for a moment before exhaling dramatically. She stood up and wiped her nose on her sleeve.

"Wait here" she mumbled unhappily before just leaving through a door. Dick raised an eyebrow and shook his head slightly, running a hand through his dark hair. He hated this place. The scent, the surroundings and the people. And it wasnt only the inmates he despised. It was the workers as well. They were all old and grumpy. It was almost like this place sucked all the life out of you.

It wasnt long before the lady returned. "Follow me", she ordered. Dick nodded and shoved his hands into his jackets pockets and followed her through the hallways. They walked past a set of cells and the inmates inside gave Dick their usual greeting. They shouted, reached out through the bars for him and called him names such as 'pig', 'cunt' and 'dog'. Dick however remained unfazed. He had heard it all and it no longer affected him.

The lady led him to Dr Quinzels office before disappearing the way they came. Dick watched her for a moment before just gently knocking on the door followed by opening it and peering inside. What he saw inside stunned him. Not only was the office absolutely stunning, but the woman at the desk also was too. A young beautiful blonde, in a place like this? Dick almost had to pinch himself to make sure he wasnt dreaming. "Dr Quinzel, my name is Officer Grayson. Im here to get a file" he said. 

Harleen stood up and gently smiled. She was just as surprised to see such a good-looking policeman. Most of the policemen in Gotham were middle aged men who came to work drunk and bitched about their wives. Harleen had lived in Gotham her entire life, so she had seen her fair share to justify her point.

"Its a pleasure to meet you. Please, take a seat" she said, gesturing to the chair that was sat on the opposite side of the desk. She leaned over and shook his hand before taking her seat, the officer taking his as well. He noticed behind her a few framed certificates and awards behind her. It appeared that she was very successful in her line of work. Dick appreciated that about her.

"Thank you for taking your time to see me. I know things can get very crazy around here" he hummed, taking a moment to fully take in his surroundings. He didnt even feel like he was in the asylum anymore. It looked so nice and there was even a pleasant scent of vanilla floating around in the room.

"Oh, no need to thank me. I remember the warden telling me of your arrival" she said. "I just wish we had a faxing machine, so we were able to just fax down the file and save you the trip"

"We have been trying convince the warden to change his ways. It would make my job much easier" he chuckled. "But we have had no luck, obviously"

"If he wont listen to the staff, I doubt he will listen to the Bludhaven PD" she sighed.

"Maybe he's a lunatic and deserves a cell in this place as well. A devoted and beautiful woman like you could take over and run this place a million times better"

Harleen immediately blushed, her cheeks turning a soft pink, a gentle smile spreading across her face. "A warden to an asylum? Me? No, I enjoy my place here as a doctor, but thank you"

"Hey, suit yourself. But if you change your mind, I have some connections who could secure you the job" he shrugged.

Harleen nodded and looked at the man for a moment. She was speechless. He spoke so confidently and his smile was almost infectious. She couldnt help but notice that the suit he was wearing fit him in a way that highlighted how muscular he seemed to be beneath those clothes. The thought of his naked body came to mind and she inhaled slightly, mentally scolding herself. She shouldnt be thinking about stuff like that right now. So, she cleared her throat, covering her mouth momentarily. "Sorry, what file was it that you came for?" she asked as she pushed her chair back and leaned over to open a draw inside her desk.

"Arnold Etchison. He also goes by Abattoir"

"Etchison" she echoed, running her finger over the top of the files. They were labelled alphabetically so she stopped when she came to E and pulled out one of the yellow folders. Here you are she said, sliding it across the desk to him. It was now that Dick noticed her thick Brooklyn accent. It was rather cute.

"Thank you. You treated Etchison, correct?" he asked as he took the folder, taking a moment to open it and flick through it. It was exactly what he needed. 

"I tried to. Hes an interesting case. He murdered innocents believing that he was able to absorb their life force, ultimately making him stronger. But I never understood why he skinned his victims afterwards" she said.

"My guess is that he purely enjoys it. He doesnt use their skin for anything. Or so we think anyways" he responded.

"All I know is that his father was no better than him. With Etchisons upbringing, he was bound to end up like this. The apple doesnt fall far from the tree"

"You are right there, Dr Quinzel" he sighed. Even though Dick didnt want to admit it, Bruce had a major impact on him. He is the person he is today because of him. If he was taken in by some random married couple, he would have been a completely different person.

"Please, call me Harleen" she said as she subconsciously picked up a pen and began to chew on the end of it lightly. It was something that she did when she got nervous. And she had every right to be nervous when a hot police officer was sitting in her office.

"Okay, Harleen" he hummed, sliding the file into his bag. Judging by the way she was responding, the blushing and how nervous she seemed, he concluded that she was single. You could say that he was experienced in this sort of stuff. He had been around and dated his fair share of women. "Harleen, are you doing anything tomorrow night?" he questioned.

"Tomorrow night? No, nothing. Why?" she asked.

"You look like you could use a fun night out. Will you come to dinner with me?"

This question had caught Harleen off guard. Her eyes widened and her body slightly tensed, digging her red painted nails into the palms of her hands. Dating wasnt really Harleens thing. She found it was a waste of time. Most men wanted one thing and one thing only, sex. And she had too much respect for herself to sleep around with men. But he was a police officer. So, maybe he was different. He was also madly attractive. How could she possibly say no?

"Erm of course" she said, trying to hide her nerves behind a smile.

"Perfect" he grinned. He reached across her desk and plucked a blue sticky note from a stack she had sitting there. He then also grabbed a pen and wrote down a few digits on it. "Here is my number. Text me and we can organise when and where" he said, passing the note to her. She took it and read over it before nodding her head.

"Okay. I will speak to you tonight, Officer Grayson" she said gently as she stood up to lead him to the door.

"Please, call me Dick" he said, jokingly mocking her accent. They shook hands and Dick offered her a wave before exiting.


	2. Chapter 2

The sun had retired for the night and instead the moon took its place in the sky, watching over Bludhaven. Shining stars were scattered across the dark void above, only projecting enough light that you were able to see outlines of objects and buildings. The streetlamps placed sparingly along the sidewalks barely did anything to light up the city either. Which is why so many people stayed inside at night, it was just too dangerous. The criminals in Blud used the darkness to their advantage. 

Dick Graysons apartment wasnt anything special. He had the necessities. A working fridge, a bed, a tv, a kitchen table and a few decorations. But the main piece of the entire apartment was a large poster that was stuck on the wall in the living room. It had the words The Flying Graysons written on it with a picture of three acrobats standing in front of a circus tent, one of the acrobats being considerably smaller than the rest. The child on the poster was Dick. The posters had been printed just before the tragic death of his parents. He kept that poster ever since in memory of them.

Though his apartment also held a few surprises. The major one being that there was a secret room behind one of the bookshelves in his bedroom. If you pulled out one of the cooking books off the shelf it would release a latch and allow the bookcase to swing out, revealing a hidden office. But it wasnt an office like Dr Quinzel had in Arkham. His office looked way more futuristic. It was filled with large monitors along the walls and high-tech equipment was everywhere you looked. The whole room had a blue hue inside it from all the lights coming from the screens. That and because Dick purposely programmed the lights to have a cooler tone since blue was his favourite colour.

In the centre of the room was a cylinder glass case that held a black Kevlar armoured suit. The suit had a blue stripe, running from one wrist, up the sleeve and along the chest before going back down the other sleeve. There was also a black domino mask that was hanging just above the suit by two thin wires. It was unmistakably Bludhavens well known vigilantes costume, Nightwing. He was the equivalent of Gothams Batman. And you guessed it, Dick Grayson was Nightwing. During the day he worked as a police officer and at night he further protected Bludhavens citizens as Nightwing. So long story short, Dick rarely got a break.

Now was a perfect example of this. Just earlier today Dick was on duty as a police officer and now he was seated in his office, staring up at one of the monitors. On his screen was a picture of Arnold Etchison and a few graphic images of his victims. He may have told Harleen that the BPD required the files on Etchison, but that was a white lie. It was actually Nightwing that required the information. The Asylum was just more likely to give a police officer classified information then a vigilante. Afterall, being a vigilante was against the law. Just the city was smart enough not to act as even though they didnt want to admit it, they needed Nightwing.

"Where are you?" he mumbled. He weas wearing a pair of grey sweatpants and a blue shirt. His hair was damp which was a tell-tale sign that he had previously just gotten out of the shower. He was resting one of his elbows on his desk and was propping his head up with the placement of his hand on his jaw. "Lillian Porters was your latest victim but why her?" he spoke to himself quietly.

But his train of thought was lost when his phoned sounded with a notification. He fished it out of his pocket and found a message from a number that he didnt have saved. The message read.

'Hey! Its Harleen, from Arkham. Sorry for messaging so late. I had to stay back following an incident. But I believe we have a dinner to plan?'

How could Dick forget? He asked Harleen Quinzel on a date. A toothy grin spread across his face and he immediately began to reply, momentarily pulling his focus away from the case he was working.

'Hello, Dr Quinzel! Are you okay? Was the incident bad?'

He sent the message and continued working until there was another notification. He couldnt help but be a little worried for the female. He knew how dangerous it could be at Arkham Asylum, especially for a woman.

'Nothing I havent handled before. Lets just say that my job can be very interesting sometimes'

'I know what you mean. Now about the dinner, I know this nice place down the main street. Are you free around 7 tomorrow? Ill finish work and swing by your place to pick you up!'

'7 is perfect. Is the place fancy? Should I dress nice?'

'A little. But dont stress yourself out too much just to impress me. You looked beautiful today'

'Thank you, Officer Grayson. My address is, ** ******** *****'

'See you then. Sleep well'

'You too' Harleen responded simply.

Dick thumbed up reacted her last message and made sure to save her number in his contacts. He put his phone aside and looked back up at the computer screen. He ran a hand through his hair before sighing, standing up. He still didnt have any leads on Abattoir so he might as well just head out on patrol and make himself somewhat useful. Dick wasnt usually one to just sit around anyways. He enjoyed keeping himself busy.

Soon enough Nightwing was out in the city, grappling his way through the sky. His jet-black hair blew in the wind as he threw himself from rooftop to rooftop. This was one of the main things Dick loved about being Nightwing, the freedom. Being able to jump off buildings and swing around was always thrilling. It reminded him of his childhood. When he was swinging around on the trapeze at the circus. As a child Dick always dreamed of flying. Unfortunately, he didnt have powers like Superman did, but his grappling gun gave him the closest feeling. Often Dick would dive off a tall building, gain some speed and just before he hit the ground, hed shoot his hook and swing out, keeping the momentum. Admittedly, he was a bit of an adrenaline junkie.

Nightwing was only out for half an hour when a familiar voice came through the device that was in his ear. It was the voice of a ten-year-old. But it was the most mature ten-year-old in the entire world It was none other then Damian Wayne, aka Robin.

"Nightwing. I have arrived in Bludhaven as per Fathers request. We have obtained information that Two face and his imbeciles will be targeting the local bank. I have come to assist you" he spoke matter of factly.

Dick couldnt help but scoff and shake his head. Damian was probably his favourite brother. The two just had a special bond. He hummed slightly before speaking.

"I didnt need your help, Robin. Knowing Harvey, this should only take ten minutes" he chuckled.

"Batman insisted I come so I can ensure Two Faces men makes it back to Arkham Asylum. Father claims he doesnt need my help back in Gotham. Hes working a Catwoman case" Robin stated, making Dick snort.

"Catwoman you say?" he laughed and rolled his eyes. Bruce was going to owe Dick for basically baby-sitting the young hero. "Alright kid, you can tag along. Ill meet you at the bank in 3 minutes" Nightwing said.

Within the next few minutes both Nightwing and Robin met on the building across from the bank. Robins cape flailed in the wind behind him. Nightwing always hated wearing a cape when he was Robin. It was heavy and made certain manoeuvres impossible. That was the first thing that he got rid of when he became Nightwing.

"Long time, no see" Dick chuckled and walked over to Damian, reaching out to gently ruffle his hair. Immediately that displeased the young boy and he took a step back to begin fixing his hair.

"Stay focused Nightwing. They are likely already inside" he mumbled as Dick just rolled his eyes and moved to the edge of the rooftop to peer over at the bank. He could notice the lights from flashlights through the windows. Thermal scans also proved that there was about 10 men inside, all carrying rifles.

"10 men. All armed. We should take a stealthy approach and pick off a few before taking down the rest. It would be suicide to take them all on at once" Dick stated as he turned around to look at Robin. But Robin had disappeared, already heading across to the bank. Dick just smiled and shook his head. "You really are your fathers son" he mumbled to himself fondly. 

Nightwing then just jumped off the building and moved around to the back of the bank, finding a ventilation shaft. The pried off the covering before climbing inside. Carefully the male moved through the shaft until he was in the main room, directly above the armed thugs. He noticed Robin who was already inside the room, crouched behind one of the desks. Thankfully half of the thugs were distracted, working on opening the heavy vault. This gave Nightwing and Robin a window to carefully take down the other half.

Robin ran up behind one of the thugs and kicked him in the back of the knees before reaching up, placing a gloved hand over the mans mouth, rendering the man into unconsciousness. He laid the thug on the ground and went to take down another. Nightwing dropped down into the room and followed suit, coming up behind two men, knocking their heads together forcefully and laying them down silently. All and all, the two made a really good team.

Simultaneously the men at the vault began to place explosives around the door, planning to blow the vault door clean off.

"Hurry up! God knows what the bossll do to us if we take too long!" one of the men said impatiently.

"Probably something along the same lines as what we will do" Nightwing said cockily, pulling his escrima sticks out from the holster he had on his back. He turned the power in them up, sparking some electricity from the ends of them just to get the thugs afraid. But Robin took a different approach. He just got straight to the point. He grabbed a batarang from his belt and threw it at the ground in the middle of them all. But it wasnt an ordinary batarang. It was an explosive one. Pressing a button on Robins belt the batarang immediately exploded, causing the men to all be thrown back. The guns fell free from their hands making them less of a threat. While they still had their guard down Nightwing jumped forward, ramming one of his sticks into one of the mens chest, electrocuting him. Robin wasnt far behind, getting a few hard punches in quick succession to knock another man out.

Before long Nightwing and Robin was standing in a room filled with unconscious thugs. Nightwing holstered his weapons as he heard sirens coming from outside. He saw and flashing of red and blue and hummed. "I think thats our cue to leave. Thanks for the fun" he smirked and looked down at the man laying on the ground. "Come on R... aaaand hes gone" Dick sighed, realising that Damian was once again one step ahead of him and had already left the scene.

Nightwing left the bank and began to head back to his apartment. It was getting late and he needed to at least get a few hours of sleep in before work tomorrow. He also had to get some sleep so he looked half decent for the date tomorrow. Dark semi-circles beneath his eyes wasnt an attractive look. And he didnt want to stay out and risk getting any noticeable bruises or wounds that some special effects makeup couldnt fix.


	3. Chapter 3

The day just seemed to drag on and on for Harleen. Every time she looked up at the clock on the wall, she swore that the seconds hand was moving slower than it should have. She even cross checked with her phone to make sure that the clock wasn't broken. But nope. It was correct. Time just seemed like it was going insanely slow. Well slower than usual anyways. Her days always felt long when she was at work. She was tempted to claim that she was feeling sick and just head home early, but she still had the same duration of time to wait regardless of if she was at home or not.

Harleen was tapping her pen against her desk as she tried to focus on one of the files in front of her. But it seemed impossible. She would read over some information but not retain a thing she just read. It would go in one ear and out the other. It was absolutely hopeless. All she could think about was Officer Grayson. His perfectly sculpted face. His soft hair. His naturally handsome smile. There wasn't one thing that she could fault about him. Already he seemed like the definition of perfect.

Harleen put the pen down on her desk, sitting it with a bunch of others that she had begun to collect. She had no reason to have so many. Usually she would just lose one, so she'd buy another, then she'd find the one she previously lost. And Harleen was a bit of a neat freak. She liked to have everything organised and colour coded. So, she had to have a pen of every colour. Blue, black, green, red, pink, orange, purple ect. It definitely wasn't a bad thing, Harleen just took pride in her work. As everyone in Arkham should.

Harleen decided to just rearrange a few things on her desk in an attempt to tidy it and keep her mind off her current thoughts. The papers were now freshy stacked, her pens all the right way up, her post it notes all laid out in their individual colours. Thankfully amongst all her frantic cleaning, the clock struck 5pm. Which meant that she now could escape from her office and spend the two hours getting ready for her date.

She didn't take her time collecting her things and locking her office door. She didn't even pay much attention to the crazies in their cells who all whistled and reached out through the bars, trying to touch her. She once again had Officer Grayson on her mind.

Harleen entered through the front door of her apartment. It wasn't as grand as her office at Arkham. It was small and cluttered. There were takeout packages all around her living room and clothes strewn across the floor. You could tell that she didn't take as much pride in her home. She has no real reason to. She didn't have friends over at her place, so she didn't have to impress anyone. She also didn't have time to keep her apartment clean. During the day she worked at Arkham Asylum and then at night she either immediately fell asleep or she went out for her night job. No one really knew, but she was a very busy woman.

The only company she had at her apartment was a stray cat that often visited. Since Harleen moved in, the cat just seemed to hang around. She later found out that the previous owner of the apartment owned the cat. A nice old lady. But she was unfortunately murdered, which was a fate for many in Gotham. Anyways, the cat just kept coming back. So Harleen began feeding him and allowing him to sleep on the couch or occasionally the bed. She gave him the name Benji. She wasn't sure what breed he was. But he was soft to the touch and his fur was grey. He also had the brightest green eyes.

Before her shower, Harleen took half an hour to briefly clean up, picking up the previously mentioned rubbish. She wasn't sure if Officer Grayson was going to end up in her apartment tonight. Either for a few drinks or even maybe more. But she didn't want to get her hopes up. Tonight, could take an unexpected turn. He could be planning on not even showing up. It wouldn't be the first time something like this had happened to her though. Especially since she felt like he was way out of her league.

Harleen also filled up a bowl of biscuits and a separate bowl of milk as Benji just seemed to follow her around her apartment, meowing. He would walk up to her leg and gently nudge it, his way of begging for food.

"Alright, alright" Harleen chuckled, placing the two bowls on the ground for him. He promptly just began to indulge in the food as she gently stroked his back, giving him a quick scratch behind one of his ears.

Afterwards, Harleen got dressed into an outfit that she planned the night before. She chose to wear a pair of heels and a dress. They cost a pretty penny, however thankfully her night job allowed her to purchase such luxuries. The dress she was wearing was made of a beautiful red velvet. It was long but elegant. It clung to her curves, highlighting her womanly figure. There was a slit up the side of the dress that came up to her thigh, showing off one of her slender legs. It also had a low cut, so it nicely presented the top of her breast. She completed the look with some light makeup and curling her hair just enough so there were some subtle waves. Overall, she was very happy with how she looked. She was looking much better compared to how she did at work.

Harleen exhaled and looked down at her phone, checking the hour for what seemed like the hundredth time. Her date would be here any minute. She was so nervous, but she couldn't bail now. To try and calm her nerves she took a small shot of whiskey. Harleen wasn't really one to drink so she winced as the alcohol seemed to burn as she swallowed. She shook her head slightly and put the alcohol away. Since she didn't really drink, she was a bit of a light weight. Too many drinks and she would have been drunk before they even sat down for dinner. That would have been embarrassing.

She was once again pulled from her thoughts when there was a knock at her door. That had to be him. She quickly checked herself in the mirror, making sure that she didn't miss to blend any of her makeup or that maybe her dress could have already had a stain on it. But things seemed fine. So, she planted a smile on her face and walked over to the door, unlocking and opening it. There he stood, the man that had been on her mind all day. Dick Grayson. And even though she thought it was impossible, he looked even more attractive then he did in her office.

Dick wasn't nearly as dressed up as Harleen was. He was just wearing a nice pair of black jeans, a white button up shirt and a black overcoat. His dark hair was neatly combed back, set with some gel. Although even with the product in his hair, it still looked very soft and fluffy.

"Good evening Miss Quinzel" he said gently, his hands resting inside the pockets of his coat. "I was planning on bringing you some flowers… but I ran out of time after finishing work" he admitted.

"Flowers? Oh no it's okay! They would have withered within a day anyways" she chuckled, waving him off. Dick just smiled and took a moment to properly look at her, his eyes scanning from her head too her toes. He was lost for words. Compared to her, he felt under dressed. Perhaps he should have put on a suit and tie.

"You look beautiful, Harleen" he complimented before looking down again, noticing Benji who sat at her feet, cleaning himself. He was now content after having been fed. "You have a cat!" Dick said happily, kneeling down in the doorway. He reached out to gently pat him. However, Benji seemed very apprehensive. He wasn't used to strangers. So, he arched his back and hissed.

"Benji!" Harleen cried, pushing him back with her foot. "Don't be mean!" she scolded, walking out of the apartment and into the hallway. "Sorry about him" she sighed and looked at Dick.

"It's okay. I'm more of a dog person anyways" he chuckled and gently linked her arm with his, leading her out of the apartment building.

"I feel so overdressed" Harleen confessed, her cheeks turning a bright red. "Should if I wore something more casual?"

"No, you look fine. I feel under dressed" he chuckled and shook his head slightly. "I just haven't gone on a date for a while. I promise next date, I'll put on a tie. If I can figure out how to do it up" he smiled.

Harleen just laughed. She was surprised. The night had barely started and already he was talking about going on another date with her. Not that she'd object. She already enjoyed the time she had spent with him so far.

Dick led Harleen out onto the streets and over to his car. He drove a silver Porsche 911 Carrera. It was a gift from Bruce when he moved to Bludhaven. Dick also had a bike, but he figured that it wasn't very romantic. And he was glad he didn't too, he knew that her dress wasn't made to get on the back of motor bikes.

"Here you go!" Dick said, jogging around to the other side of the car, opening the passenger side door for her.

"Thank you" she grinned, climbing inside.

It was a short car ride and Dick parked out the front of a Chinese restaurant. A fancy one. "My friend Alfred suggested we come here. He says that the fried rice is to die for" Dick chuckled, helping her out of the car. He looked down at his watch briefly before once again taking her arm, leading her inside. The interior of the place definitely had a Chinese feel to it. There was quiet music playing and fortune cookies laid out on every table. A colourful hand painted dragon could be found on ceiling, curling from one wall to the other. Red lanterns also hung from the roof over every table. They didn't emit much light, but in a way the dim lighting really helps set the mood for a romantic dinner.

"This place is stunning…" Harleen whispered, taking a moment to just take in her surroundings. Dick smiled and just went to go and talk to one of the waiters, telling them of their reservations and getting their table number.

"This way, table 12" Dick said, taking Harleens hand and showing her to the table for two. He pulled out her chair so she could sit down before sitting down across from her.

"Thanks" the blonde said gently, looking at the napkins that had been folded to look like origami flowers. "These are cute!" she said excitedly. Small things seemed to amuse her.

"I'm glad you like the napkins. Hopefully you enjoy the food" Dick chuckled and picked up the menu. Harleen just blushed and did the same, letting her eyes scan over it. There was so much to choose from.

"So, in your office I couldn't help but notice that you had a few certificates hanging on the wall. One was for gymnastics" Dick said. Bruce taught Dick to always analyse everything. So, he did, even taking in the smallest details in Harleens office in his short visit.

"Yeah, I would compete in competitions when I was younger. It's actually how I was able to become a psychiatrist. I won myself a scholarship" she said proudly, sitting up straighter. "Do you know anything about gymnastics?" she asked, genuinely curious.

"Well, I guess you could say I do" he chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. "I know this sounds crazy, but I grew up in a circus. My parents and I were performers. The Flying Graysons" he said.

Harleen gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. "Wait, you're the kid. Your parents died and you were adopted by Bruce Wayne. I remember seeing it on the news when I was younger… I'm so sorry for your loss" she frowned. She now felt guilty. Maybe she shouldn't have asked.

"Thanks" he said. And he genuinely meant it. "But I try not to think of it as a bad thing. They died doing what they loved. And now I'm a police officer because of them. I'm ensuring that that sort of thing doesn't happen to anyone else" he smiled.

"You're very brave Dick. Truly. I work with people everyday who go through traumatic events like you did. And they end up having to rely on medication and they do things that they normally wouldn't. Drugs, rape, murdering…" she began to list before she shook her head. "Sorry, not really something that should be spoken about at a table. But what I'm trying to say is, well done. For moving on in your life"

Dick smiled and just looked at her. He appreciated her words. She was extremely kind. Sure, people always gave their condolences to him. But no one truly understood what he went through. Apart from Bruce of course. Bruce shared a similar past with his own parents' death. "Thank you Harleen. I hope I made them proud" he hummed and looked down.

"I'm sure you did" she smiled and reached across the table to gently take his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. But she pulled her hand back again when a waiter came to take their orders.

Soon enough food had been placed in front of them and they both begun eating, sipping occasionally on a glass of wine. The night had been going great so far. Both of them seemed to be getting on well and the food was delicious. Alfred had good taste.

"I know you aren't meant to talk about your patients, but can I ask about Arnold Etchison? My boys and I at Bludhaven PD are a bit stumped with our investigation. We're trying to find out the connections with his most recent victims. Would you have any idea what it could be?" he asked.

"Etchison hated his family. He believed they were evil. Perhaps these newest victims were friends of his family? Maybe he believed that the 'evil' carried over into them as well" she responded, picking up a dumpling with her chop sticks and taking a bite.

Dick hummed, taking a moment to think. "His parents were religious people… perhaps they all went to the same church" he spoke quietly before smiling. Finally, a lead. He couldn't believe it took Harleen to help him figure that out. "Thanks. My boys will really appreciate that" he said.

"It's the least I can do" she shrugged, finishing off her plate and now just sipping the rest of her wine. "Now answer me something Mister Grayson. How is a man like you still single?" she asked, leaning forward with her elbows on the table.

"Just haven't found the right girl" he shrugged, just watching her. "I've also been pretty busy with work. I haven't really had time for a relationship. But I'm learning to better manage my time" he responded. Really, he just hadn't found someone who was worth making time for. It sounded horrible, but his jobs always took first priority in his life. But maybe for the right person, he could change some things around and have two main priorities. But something was telling him that Harleen could be the one. He thoroughly enjoyed himself around her. He hadn't felt this happy and relaxed for a while.

"I hope you find the right girl soon" she smiled and finished the last of her drink. Dick did the same, finishing off the rest of his drink before he stood up.

"Would you like to go for a walk?" he asked as she stood up as well, nodding her head.

"I would love to" she smiled. Dick pulled off his coat and gently draped it over her shoulders. She snuggled into it, taking a moment in inhale the scent of his cologne. It was enough to make her stomach do somersaults and her mouth water.

"Wait outside, I'll fix up the bill" he smiled, pulling his wallet from his jeans. Harleen obviously didn't expect him to pay for her, but she wasn't going to argue. She just made a mental note to pay for his meal next time they went on a date.

Harleen left the restaurant and waited outside, inhaling some of the fresh air. She was glad that she had Dicks coat because there was a cool breeze traveling through the streets of Gotham. She looked up at the sky, just staring at the moon as Dick soon walked out. "Ready?" he asked, going to place a hand on the small of her back. But he stopped when his watch buzzed. He immediately frowned and looked down at it. "Dammit" he muttered and shook his head. It was an alert sent from the Batcave. Nightwing was needed out in the city.

"What is it?" she asked worriedly.

"The umm, work needs me to come to the station" he sighed and looked at her. "I'm so sorry, Harleen. This is urgent" he said as he fished his wallet back out from his pants. He then passed her some cash. "Here, this will be for your taxi ride home"

Harleen couldn't help but be a little disappointed. She didn't want the night to end. She was having such a nice time. But she took the cash anyways, looking up at him.

"We'll see each other again soon?" she asked hopefully.

"Tonight, after work I'll text you and we can organise another date" he promised, stepping forward to place a gentle kiss on her forehead. He looked down at her for a moment before a took a step back. "Goodnight Harleen" he said, walking over to his car.

"Goodnight Dick" she responded, watching him get into the car and speed off. That was when she realised, she still had his coat. This made her smile, pulling it tighter around herself. She'd have to remember to give it back to him next time. But for now, she could enjoy the scent it gave off. She could close her eyes and pretend that he was still here. The end of the night wasn't a bust after all. For Harleen anyways. Dick now had duty to attend to. His night wasn't over.


End file.
